Improvement



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE It. TVIIJLMOT,

on MEEIDEN,

CONNECTICUT.

Specification forming partof Letters Patent No. 49,671, dated August 29, 1865.

description oi the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing,forming part ot this specification, said drawing representing a central vertical section ot' a bottle with a stopper constructed according to In y invention.

This invention relates to elastic Stoppers which in their normal condition :tit loosely into the month otl the bottle or vessel, but which after being inserted are expanded circumfercntially and made to tit tightly by being cornprcssed in a longitudinal direction.

It consists in an improved construction ot such a stopper, whereby it is rendered more tirm and durable and more easy ot operation.

To enable others to construct a stopper according to my invention7 I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawing.

A is a plug of the forni ot' an inverted frustum of a cone ot' very slight taper, having a longitudinal opening directly through the center large enough lor the tree passage ot' a screw, B, which 'is-inserted directly through it, the said screw having a circular head,b, which abuts against and is large enough to nearly cover the bottom of the plug, but not so large but that it passes into the neck ot' the bottle without touching it. rIlhe said screw projects above the top ot' the plug, where it is Iitted with a nut, c, of proper form to enable it to be turned easily with the thumb and fingers. Be tween the nut and the top ot' the plug there is a loose washer or collar, d, which lorins a bearing for the nut.

The exterior ot' the plug is covered with woolen cloth, felt, plush, or iiock, to prevent it i'rom sticking in the neck of the bottle. The exterior diameter oi' the said plug is such that when'it is not compressed between the head of the screw and the nut it will pass freely into and out 'from the neck of the bottle; but

that a slight compression between the head oi' the screw and the collar (l, produced by screwing down the nut, will cause it to expand circumferentially in a sufficient degree to make it it tightly to the interior of the neck of the bottle, and to make its central hole contract around the screw B sutliciently to prevent leakage.

The plug A may be made ot any elastic substance but I prefer to make it ot' elastic vnlcanized india-rubber, and to make the upper and lower parts of different degrees ot' hardness, the lower part being made harder than the upper part, the latter being soft enough to expand under a comparatively light pressure ot' the nut, and the former being sufliciently hard to prevent the head ot the screw from indenting itself deeper into it than is desirable. By this means the plug is rendered more durable.

I prefer to cover the exterior oi' the said plug with tlock, which may be applied to the surface of the rubber before subject-ing it to the heat required for vulcanization, or may be applied atter vulcauization by the aid ot a solution of india-rubber or any suitable adhesive varnish or cement.

The washer or collar d has made in the same piece with or otherwise firmly attached to it, a tube, c, which forms a lining to that part of the interior ot' thecentral hole in the plug A which receives the thread of the screw, and thereby prevents the abrasion of the hole by the thread.

The attachment of the tube to the collar or washer makes the stopper firmer than when the tube is detached.

On the upper end ot the screw there is applied a stop, f, to prevent the nut from being unscrewed higher than is necessary to relieve the plug A lrom compression, and to allow it to contract circumferentially in a sufficient degree to loosen it in the neck of the bottle. This stop may consist of a cap or nut screwed tightly onto the end ot' the screw, as represented, or of a collar riveted onto the end ot' the screw.

rI'he nut 0, collar or washer d, and tube e may be made ot' inetal,hard vulcanized indiarubber, or other suitable material.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Attaching the tube e to, or forming it in the same piece with, the collar or washer d, degrees of hardness, substantially as and for substantially as and for the purpose herein the purpose herein specified.

specified. 4. Coating the exterior of the plu g with Hoek, 2. The stop j; applied in combination with substantially as and for the purpose herein the screw B and nut; o ot the stopper, subspecied.

stantially as and for the purpose herein speci- GEO. R. WILLM OT. ed. Vitnesses-z 3. Making the upper and lower parts ofthe JOHN S. GREENFIELD,

elastic plug A of the stopper of two different J. H. BRECKENRIDGE. 

